Entertainment News Roundup: Disney delays 'Black Widow' in new setback; US TV shows try a new election playbook and more

New York's Metropolitan Opera to remain closed for another year New York's famed Metropolitan Opera canceled its entire upcoming season on Wednesday and said it would remain closed until September 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a sign of the continuing struggles for live entertainment.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Disney delays 'Black Widow' in new setback for cinemas

Walt Disney Co on Wednesday postponed the release of superhero movie "Black Widow" and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" until 2021, a setback to cinema operators hoping for a late-year surge in moviegoing. The films were among the biggest titles remaining on Hollywood's schedule for 2020. "Black Widow" was delayed by six months until May 2021 and "West Side Story," a movie version of the classic Broadway musical, by a year to December 2021.

U.S. TV shows try a new election playbook: making voting part of the story

From "black-ish" to a "West Wing" reunion, television shows are using the power of entertainment in new ways to encourage more Americans to participate in the Nov. 3 election. Thirty years after "Rock the Vote," a liberal nonprofit group, fused pop culture and politics, TV makers are seeking to make dry topics like registering to vote, filling out the census and finding polling places feel vital and fun by writing them into the plots of popular shows.

Some social media stars chafe at COVID restrictions, angering authorities

A handful of social media stars and influencers have publicly flouted rules aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic and even encouraged others to do so, and authorities from the Netherlands to the United States are not happy. The online dissent comes as the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States passed 200,000 and many countries in Europe are grappling with a second wave of infections.

New York's Metropolitan Opera to remain closed for another year

New York's famed Metropolitan Opera canceled its entire upcoming season on Wednesday and said it would remain closed until September 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a sign of the continuing struggles for live entertainment. The 3,800-seat opera house normally stages more than 200 performances each season and welcomes nearly 800,000 visitors, according to its website.

'Variety' and 'The Hollywood Reporter' join hands in new venture

Media firms Penske Media Corp and MRC said on Wednesday they were creating a joint venture for their publishing brands, bringing long-time rival entertainment news portals "Variety" and "The Hollywood Reporter" under the same roof. The companies also said they would create a second joint venture to develop entertainment content under both their brands across film, television, and events. MRC's popular live events include "Billboard Music Awards" and "American Music Awards", among others.

K-pop band BTS delivers 'message of hope' at 75th U.N. General Assembly

South Korean K-pop band BTS delivered a "message of hope" in a pre-recorded video posted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday as part of the 75th U.N. General Assembly. In the video, the band members shared their own struggles with coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in English and Korean and encouraged fans to stay positive.

Ginsburg movies 'RBG' and 'On the Basis of Sex' re-released to support women's rights

Two films about late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are being re-released in U.S. movie theaters with proceeds going to support women's rights groups, producers said on Tuesday. Documentary "RBG," which cemented Ginsburg's unlikely status as a pop culture hero, and biographical movie "On the Basis of Sex," both from 2018, will be back in movie theaters on Friday and available on demand, Focus Features, and Magnolia Pictures said.

Coming to a cinema near you: the life of UK's Captain Tom

British centenarian and charity star Captain Tom Moore, who raised millions of pounds for the health service by walking laps of his garden during lockdown, has signed a deal to film a biopic of his life, he and the producers said on Wednesday. The film, to be shot next year, will be made by Britain's Fred Films and Powder Keg Pictures, whose credits include "Fisherman's Friends", about a group of Cornish fishermen who signed a record deal, they said in a joint statement.

Egyptian orchestra for visually-impaired women resumes concerts amid coronavirus

Egypt's Al Nour Wal Amal (light and hope) chamber orchestra, a music group of visually-impaired women, has faced many challenges over the decades, yet none was like this year's pandemic. After months without playing, the orchestra members resumed rehearsals three weeks ago and held their first concert since the start of the global health crisis on Sunday at the Manasterly Palace in Cairo.